Women Now a Majority in American Workplaces

For years, a woman's role in society was to stay home and take care of the children, as well as the household. Gradually, women started to become more and more involved in the workforce. However, for the first time, women outnumber men on the nation's payrolls. One specific part of the article that caught my attention was when it discussed the idea that men have been losing their jobs faster than women. I believe that one reason why men may be losing their job faster than women is because at times, a woman who holds the same title as a male is paid less money. Due to the recession, companies may choose to keep the female employee and eliminate the male employee because then they will be able to save some money. Another reason why men may be losing their job faster than women is because, "Men are more likely to work in industries like manufacturing, which rise and fall with the economic cycle. Women are more likely to work in government, health care and education, among the safest categories in a downturn." This showed me that one possible reason why the women currently outnumber men on the nation’s payrolls is because even in the tough economy, health care and education both play a very crucial role in society. Even if people are struggling through these rough times, they are much more likely to spend their money on health care and education, rather than a new car, etc. Overall, this article gave me a new perspective on women in the workplace today and the reasons behind why women may be outnumbering men on the nation's payrolls.

Rampell, Catherine. "Women Now a Majority in American Workplaces." NYTimes.com. The New York Times. 5 Feb 2010. Web. 8 Feb 2010.